Thursday, April 12, 2012

Public Art and the City: Louisville 2012 Public Art Symposium

Come to the U of L on Friday for Public Art and the City 2012. Free for students.

Join us for the day!

April 13, 2012

Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library

The Public Art symposium is sponsored in part by the Center for Arts and Culture Partnerships, The Liberal Studies Project, The Morgan Program, Hite Art Institute and The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Through an examination of material from archives, curatorial, and conservation records, this panel considers the intricate and complex story of the first cast of The Thinker done during the artist’s lifetime, its exhibition in 1904 at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, subsequent purchase by Baltimore patrons, and purchase by Arthur Hopkins for the city of Louisville before finding its present home at the University of Louisville. The sculpture’s recent cleaning and conservation, which has returned the dark brown patina as Auguste Rodin intended, provides the rich opportunity for professionals to share insight on not only these processes but, also, the history of this work.

Panelists:

•Christopher Fulton, Associate Professor of Art History, U of L

•Bernard Barryte, Curator of European Art/Manager of

Publications at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, CA

•Shelley Reisman Paine, Sculpture Conservator, Shelley R. Paine

Conservation, LLC, Nashville and Cleveland

•Bill Mongon, Accurex Measurement, Inc., PA

Respondent: Richard J. Wittebort, Professor of Chemistry, U of L

Following this session, attendees will view the sculpture together, en route to lunch at the University Club.

12:15-1:30 PM Lunch and Keynote Address at the University Club

Growing Successful Public Art Initiatives

Renee Piechocki, Director, Office of Public Art, Pittsburgh, PA

What are elements of a successful public art program? What is the right mix between "best practices" and "best for us"? Piechocki will address the development of public art initiatives in Philadelphia, Portland, Pittsburgh, and Chapel Hill, highlighting how these programs became public art leaders in the field or their region. She will also call attention to current public art issues and ideas.

1:30-2:00 Session II (The University Club)

Public Art How-Tos

•How to Get People to Your Art: Karen Gillenwater,

The Carnegie Center for Art and History

•How to Secure a Commission: Garry Bibbs, Sculptor

•How to Get Public Art Noticed: Christine Huskisson,

Take it Artside!

•How to Fund Public Art Projects: Lori Meadows,

Kentucky Arts Council

•How to Educate with Public Art: Renee Piechocki,

Director, Office of Public Art, Pittsburgh PA

•How to Undertake Temporary Public Art Projects:

Patrick Mohr, Savannah College of Art and Design

2:15-3:15 Session III (Chao Auditorium)

Public Art Case Studies from the Region

This panel offers insight into recent public art projects commissioned, ongoing, and completed in the region.